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: a High German language written in Hebrew characters that is spoken by Jews and descendants of Jews of central and eastern European origin
Yiddish
adjective
Examples of Yiddish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The ad, in Yiddish, appeared on page two of the May 17, 1946, edition of the Forward, the nation’s largest Jewish newspaper.
—Andrew Silverstein, Washington Post, 22 July 2024
The principal spoke some Yiddish so my mother was able to communicate with him.
—Linda Chase, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2024
His parents, Morris and Estelle (Lichtenstein) Rothenberg, operated a dry goods store in the Bronx, where Jerome grew up speaking Yiddish at home.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 5 May 2024
Harry Pila, an athletic teenager, spoke fluent French, Flemish, and Yiddish, plus a smattering of Polish.
—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Yiddish yidish, short for yidish daytsh, literally, Jewish German, from Middle High German jüdisch diutsch, from jüdisch Jewish (from Jude Jew) + diutsch German
First Known Use
1871, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Yiddish
Cite this Entry
“Yiddish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Yiddish. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
Yiddish
noun
Yid·dish
ˈyid-ish
: a language that began among the Jews of eastern Europe and is based on German and written in the Hebrew alphabet
Yiddish
adjective
Etymology
from Yiddish yidish, a shortened form of yidish daytsh, literally "Jewish German (language)," derived from early German jüdisch "Jewish" and diutsch "the German language"
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